


home is just a four letter word

by Tatsumaki_sama



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Cats, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cats, Families of Choice, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Pets, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 04:06:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12246654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tatsumaki_sama/pseuds/Tatsumaki_sama
Summary: Caboose brings home a cat and names it Washington. It was an adjustment for all of them.





	home is just a four letter word

**Author's Note:**

> Not quite sure where this idea came from but I came to like the idea of Cat!Washington. I thought it would make his relationships with the others even more interesting and adorable. I also had a bit of fun trying to incorporate the series into this alternate universe such as a different interpretation from parts of Revelation, Chorus and in-between the seasons.

Tucker was not sure what bothered him more. The fact the cat was clearly a stray, looking beaten up and starved. Or the fact that Caboose decided to adopt a cat just a few hours after they found out Church was having an extended stay in the hospital for who knows how long.

 

“ Can we keep him?”

 

Caboose had a huge bright grin, something Tucker had not seen since Church had to be an idiotic self-sacrificing hero trying to save his girlfriend and in the end, both of them lapsed into comas after the car accident and it was uncertain if either of them would wake up.

 

Tucker stared at the cat distastefully. The cat stared back scathingly. It looked like the cat wanted to anywhere else but there. It curled in itself, ready to bolt or tear up the house.

 

“ I don't think this is a good idea.”

 

“ But he is my new friend!”

 

“ You don't see me inviting every flea-bitten furball living in the streets into the house.”

 

The cat took offence to that, hissing indignantly.

 

“ But this is for Church!”

 

“ What does the stupid cat have to do with Church?” Tucker snapped, losing the little patience he had.

 

Caboose tightened his grip over the cat but to Tucker's surprise, the cat did not snarl or try to dig his claws into Caboose's skin. “ Because we can't take care of Church.”

 

Tucker stiffened.

 

“ Church is sleeping and he is off to wonderland along with the mean lady,” Caboose continued in one of his rare solemn tones. “ He's probably having lots of fun but he can't come back to us right now. So if we take care of him,” Caboose gave the cat a little shake. “ It will be like taking care of Church.”

 

At times like this, Tucker wish Caboose didn't have his strange way of making sense of things.

 

“ Fine.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “ But if that cat pees on my bed, he's out.”

 

Caboose whooped. He lifted up the cat, who now looked apprehensive and probably alarmed that he was forcefully adopted against his will. “ I'm going to take good care of you, Washington!”

 

“ Washington,” Tucker flatly repeated. “ Like the state.”

 

“ I know. I made it up myself.”

 

~.~.~

 

True to his word, the now-named Washington was pretty well trained for a supposed stray cat. He never caused a mess of any kind, keeping himself very clean and impeccable after Caboose finally gave him a bath.

 

Caboose spent every waking moment with Washington, alternating between treating him more like a dog than a cat (“Cats don't play fetch and they don't need leashes to go on walks!”) and treating him like he was Church.

 

“ It's your birthday coming up,” Caboose was telling Washington as he gave the cat generous belly rubs. Washington seemed pretty indifferent to the extra affection. “ We are going to have a big party! With lots of cake and presents! Just for you! Because you are my best friend!”

 

Tucker resisted the urge to remind Caboose that it was _Church_ 's birthday coming up. It wasn't like the cat could talk and tell them how old he was anyways.

 

To make matters worse, Washington appeared to be aware of who Church was. He sniffed at all of Church's clothing lying on the floor that they were too lazy or unwilling to pick up. He paced around Church's room, investigating the emptiness of it, never actually touching anything. He solemnly watched them leave the house with far too intelligent eyes whenever they went to visit Church in the hospital and waited for them in the same spot until they returned.

 

Tucker could not help but wonder if Washington knew Church from an earlier time. Church never mentioned owning a cat before but then again Church wasn't someone who would reminisce about his past.

 

Washington also had a sixth sense when it came to Caboose's depressed moods. He knew whenever Caboose lapsed into these moods to meow insistently and drag out Caboose for some fresh air. He even took to answering whenever Caboose called him Church and talked to him as if he was Church. He tolerated Caboose's eccentric mannerisms with the patience of a saint.

 

And Caboose loved Washington all the more because of it. And it was clear that to a certain degree, Washington became fond of Caboose as well.

 

For some reason, all of this made Tucker annoyed. It seemed unfair to him that the cat was able to cheer up Caboose in a matter of days, something he couldn't accomplish, even if he had months.

 

~.~.~

 

Washington and the Reds, also known as Tucker and Caboose's other housemates, had a rocky start to their relationship.

 

“ Is that a cat?” Grif had exclaimed. Washington had eyed him just as warily in return.

 

“ I knew I was feeling itchy all morning!” Simmons wailed.

 

“ Sweet monopoly on a corn stick!” Sarge shouted with all the energy that no man should have that early – well, early for Tucker anyways – in the morning. Or at any time, period. “ We have come under attack by the most vicious animal known to mankind!”

 

Lopez grunted a few unintelligible words, more concerned with his breakfast.

 

“ How adorable!” Donut squealed. “ Can I pet him?”

 

What eventually resulted was a broken cupboard, a bitten Donut and Lopez, Grif's ripped pants and a hysterical Washington who refused to leave the safety underneath the closest bed. Which happened to be Tucker's bed.

 

Tucker was essentially kicked out of his own room because Washington wouldn't stop hissing and clawing at anyone and anything that came near his safety net. It took days for Caboose to coax the cat out from under the bed. All the while Caboose glared at Tucker like this was all his fault and muttered several underhanded insults when he thought Tucker wasn't listening.

 

He had thought once Washington finally stopped hiding and emerged from the bed, things would be back to normal. How wrong Tucker was.

 

Grif's boxers and socks disappeared, only to somehow ended up in Sarge's and Simmon's rooms. Sarge exploded that Grif was trying to murder him in his sleep and began plotting with an uninterested Lopez to kick Grif out of the house. Simmons, fed up that Grif's mess was infecting his room, hoarded back his gaming devices. And eventually, the fallout was that Donut accidentally set the gaming devices on fire and Lopez nearly lost his head (figuratively and literally).

 

Sarge accused Washington of starting this and even Grif suspiciously eyed Washington but there was no definitive proof and Washington smugly sauntered around Caboose's legs, daring any of them to say otherwise.

 

Tucker really hated his life right now.

 

~.~.~

 

Tucker abruptly woke up in a cold sweat.

 

For a moment, all he could do was struggle to breath, trying to stifle the screams that was buried in his throat. His hands clenched over his blankets and refused to let go. Every inch of his skin felt cold and no amount of trembling could stop it. His heart pounded against his chest, threatening to burst out.

 

He had not had a nightmare like this in a long time. Where he was being shot at, trying not to die, trying not to scream, trying to run and escape, trying to not watch his friends die.

 

Groaning that it was going to be one of those long nights, Tucker sat up.

 

Only to see Washington's bright eyes glowing right in front of him in the dark.

 

Tucker's first reaction was to yelp and scramble away as fast as he could, kicking out at the cat who merely leaped off his chest and perched at the edge of the bed like he belonged there.

 

A simmer of irritation bubbled through his icy cold veins. Washington had a terrible habit of waking Tucker up at unconventional hours, either pawing at his face or jumping right on his chest. Tucker figured Washington was doing it just to be a jerk. “ What do you want, you stupid cat?” he snapped.

 

Washington just continued to watch him. Tucker was about to utter several curses and attempt to swat the no-good useless cat away when he realized that the last dredges of his nightmare was fading away and his hands didn't shake as badly.

 

It suddenly dawned on Tucker that on the nights whenever Washington rudely startled him awake, Tucker would never remember his dreams after.

 

“ Have you been waking me up whenever I have a nightmare?” he incredulously said, feeling a bit foolish for asking the question to a cat.

 

Washington settled against the crook of Tucker's arm and chest, determined to stay put for the rest of the night. Tucker supposed this would be the closest answer he would get.

 

He was no longer shivering, now that Washington's warm body was curled next to him.

 

“ Thanks Wash,” he mumbled as he fell back against his pillow and tentatively reached forward to place a hand on Washington's back.

 

The resonating, responding purr from Washington was able to lull Tucker into a dreamless sleep.

 

~.~.~

 

The day that their house was broken into was one of the days Tucker considered one of the worst days of all time.

 

Tucker and Caboose was visiting Church and Grif and Simmons decided to come along too one evening. Both fortunately and unfortunately for them, by the time they came home, they found out that some crooks decided to break in.

 

Donut had been slammed against the wall, his wrist dislocated from the force. Lopez had a nasty bloody bruise at his forehead where something had bludgeoned it. Sarge was picking himself off the floor, cradling a broken arm. And Washington was unconscious with broken ribs and internal bleeding.

 

After the police was called and the paramedics arrived, the others were able to recount what had happened.

 

A gang of hooded crooks barged into their house, perhaps looking for some quick cash. They must have been watching them for some time because they waited until Tucker and the others had left, leaving only three.

To the horrified shock and outrage of Tucker and Caboose, Washington was the first to go down. The cat, upon realizing the invaders didn't have friendly intentions, managed to pounce onto the faces of several crooks, scratching and biting and fighting tooth and nail.

 

Two particular crooks wearing orange and green ski masks were the ones to grab Washington and throw him to the ground, where they then proceeded to kick and stomp on the cat into unconsciousness.

 

Seeing such violence and cruelty to their friend, a rage filled Donut, Sarge and Lopez and they charged and fought back like their lives depended on it. They put up a good fight but regardless the thieves had knives and numbers that the three could not hope to contend with and were eventually overwhelmed.

 

Seeing Washington appear so small and limp in Caboose's arms as he rushed the cat to the nearest emergency animal hospital, Tucker never wanted something more than to find the ones who did this to his friends and make them pay.

 

~.~.~

 

“ Will Washington be able to walk again?” Caboose quietly asked them as they all sat around Washington's bed, waiting for the anaesthesia to wear off and for Washington to wake up from the surgery.

 

Simmons glanced at Tucker, almost as if asking for permission, before hesitantly answering. “ I don't know.”

 

“ We will know for sure once Wash wakes up,” Sarge said confidently. “ Don't get that pretty little head of yours in a wrap.”

 

“ But what if he doesn't?” Caboose stressed.

 

They weren't sure if Caboose simply meant Washington's ability to walk or if Washington would wake up period.

 

If the damage was too much for Washington, it would break Caboose's heart to put Washington down as a mercy.

 

(it would break all their hearts, really)

 

For a wild moment, Tucker hated Church for starting all of this. For getting himself into a coma. For being the reason why Caboose latched onto Washington so closely. For not being there to stop the rest of them from becoming so attached to Washington. For not waking up and being the reason why Tucker wasn't at the house when the others were robbed and Washington was hurt.

 

Lopez spoke up, saying something low in Spanish. His hand lingered on top on Washington's head, gently rubbing the cat's head, at a spot he knew Washington liked.

 

“ Lopez is right! Wash won't let something as little as death get to him,” Donut nodded.

 

Grif snorted. “ I'm pretty sure Lopez didn't say that.”

 

“ Unlike some people, I took Spanish class.”

 

“ Wasn't that in high school, like thirty years ago?”

 

“ I still remember some of it!”

 

“ Pretty sure you spoke Chinese that day.”

 

“ I like Chinese food.”

 

“ I'm pretty sure that cashier had no idea what you were saying, either way.”

 

“ Or she thought you needed to be admitted to an asylum.”

 

“ Hey!”

 

“ Mrreow.”

 

Washington's tired but irritable purr interrupted their bickering. He raised his head, bumping and rubbing it against the back of Lopez's hand. His tail flicked up, managing to brush across Caboose's nose as a slight warning to not crush him into a hug just yet.

 

And wasn't that the most wonderful thing Tucker heard and seen all day?

 

 


End file.
